Justin Timberlake’s SXSW Secret Show As Much About ’20/20 Experience’ As Old Hits

JT takes the stage at his Myspace Secret Show on the final night of SXSW (March 16). (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Myspace)

When Justin Timberlake was confirmed to be the headliner of the last MySpace Secret Show, it was no surprise that it would be the hottest ticket in Austin – well, besides Prince – on Saturday night (March 16). Hundreds of people who were lucky enough to get a wristband gathered in front of Austin’s Coppertank Events Center in hopes of getting a good spot to watch the singer and now MySpace co-owner do his thing onstage.

The Roots‘ Questlove kicked off the show at 10:45 p.m. with an hour-long DJ set that warmed up the crowd. Although his spinning skills and mix of old-school Michael Jackson tracks and Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” could only hold off people’s anticipation for Timberlake’s arrival for so long before you could feel the excitement for the headliner brewing.

Just after midnight, the stage revealed a large band including four backup singers and a brass section known as the Tennessee Kids, Timberlake’s backing band as of late. With guitar in hand, Timberlake strutted out casually and kicked his show off with “Like I Love You.” Dressed in a tuxedo t-shirt, blazer, dark jeans and hat, Timberlake soon found himself overdressed despite ditching his current look of choice, a Tom Ford tuxedo. “No one told me it was going to be this f***ing hot,” he told the crowd.